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Katarina walked through the hallway at a relaxed pace, taking the time to observe the craftsmanship of the building. It was decent, but nothing could compare to the work of Noxian craftsmen.

We could probably do it better she decided.

The "Institute of war" as it was called had only recently been created. It felt like just yesterday that war raged across Runeterra. Katarina so enjoyed combat; the slaughter made her feel truely happy... But not anymore. Not with this frail peace. War had been "banned" by the world as a whole in favor of settling disputes in an arena rather than on the glorious fields of battle. The so-called "Fields of Justice" were hardly going to satisfy her needs. The entire idea was ridiculous, after all.

What's the point of all this? she thought to herself. She did not expect this peace to last. Sooner or later war would break out again. Some weak politicians would back the wrong horse in a fight, contract assassins - like herself - to even the score outside of the battlefield, the "League" would not be able to do anything about it, and war would break out again. She could see things falling apart even now, as it had been seen so many times in history.

But, untill that day comes... well, I can't very well allow myself to be bored. she decided, and continued on through the hallway, stopping at a large door.

"The truest opponent lies within" so said the inscription.

Katarina sighed. Really? Is this what the judgement qualification will entail? A psychologocal exam of some form? Pathetic. Maybe war will break out sooner than I had hoped...

She shook her head, then went through the doors, and entered a dark room.

REFLECTION

Ambush? How could anyone be that stupid... she thought to herself. Luring someone into a dark room was cliche, and an ambush for as experienced an assassin as herself was a brainless idea. She drew her weapons, prepared to dispatch any fool who would think to get the drop on her. It would hardly be a challenge, even if there were several targets. She had earned her title, after all.

Katarina's weapons vanished, and her heart skipped a beat. This was unexpected. No, this was impossible. How could she drop her weapons, or allow them to be taken from her? She's never made such a mistake since she was in her first sessions of training.

"Katarina..."

She blinked, and found herself laying down on a comfortable bed, without her weapons... but she recognized the voice. Katarina's mind was strong. Strong enough to partially be aware that this was an illusion.. but she was not a magician, she had no choice but to play along.

"Good morning." Garen said, as he walked over and opened a window, letting a beam of light into the room, hitting Katarina's face. She shrieked and pulled a pillow over her head to block the light out.

"Wow. I guess it was fitting when I called you a 'black widow' considering how you react to morning sunlight." Garen laughed.

"mmmph." Katarina replied. It had been quite an interesting night, and she was still sleepy. Why can't she relax for a few more minutes? No one knew where they were and neither of them were expected to be anywhere for a few more days.

"Have you considered maybe it would be a good idea to tell people about what's going on between us?" Garen said, leaning on the windowsill, looking down to the street below, as he watched a few couples walking up and down the streets together.

"Who knows.. maybe it would bring peace."

I don't want peace. I want to keep killing. I love to kill.. but I also love you. Katarina thought to herself.

Katarina yawned sleepily. "You know that would not work, and you know why. The only thing that would happen is we would both be called traitors."

She wasn't really lying to him. There's a chance that would be exactly what happened if they came out of the closet. She had had a few men in her life, but none she could respect. None she could call her equal... none except for Garen. The other men couldn't be trusted to know her intimately and keep her secrets... which is why all of them were dead. But Garen... he was different. She was happy, and coming out of the closet for their relationship on the chance that it would bring both city-states to the table was hardly a worthwhile gamble. Especially when she was quite content with the world as it was, she did so enjoy killing.

I should get his mind off such a topic. She decided. Besides, distracting him was fun.

She took a pose on her side, with one leg crossed over the other. She was beautiful, and knew that was one of the things Garen admired about her. "Close the window, and drapes, and come here." She said.

Garen closed the window, and the drapes, and went to join his lover. He placed his hands on her sides and gently kissed her. Katarina closed her eyes...

"Why do you want to join the league, Katarina?" Her pleasant train of thought was suddenly interrupted.

Katarina was now fully aware of what was going on and back in reality and in control of her actions, and she found herself standing back in the dark room, her weapons in-hand. She wasn't amused at this perticular method of a psychological exam... but she did have a chance to be totally honest with someone, since it wouldn't matter.

"Because this is the only place where I can find enough violence to satisfy my needs now that the war is over, and because Garen will be coming here soon. I love to kill, and people like you took away the war that made me happy and led to my relationship. I am forced to come here because this is the only place I can be happy."

"And here I was expecting you to lie at first and say it was for the glory of Noxus." The summoner replied.

"Don't be foolish. It would have been pointless to lie considering how you so easily went through my memmories." She retorted.

The doors to the league opened. Katarina smiled, and noticed that she was completely alone with the summoner.

"The judgement is now concluded... but I have one last question for you, Katarina, 'The sinnister blade'... As one of the league's first champions, you should know, you will share every thought with a summoner. So I ask you.. how does it feel, exposing your mind?"

"Better than you feel." Katarina said, as she tossed a throwing knife into the summoner's chest.

The summoner fell to his knees. "With the ritual concluded and the doors open to me, I know enough to know that I've been accepted and we're no longer being watched. You should have left when you had the chance." Katarina continued.

The summoner fell onto his back, growing weak from pained breathing. There was something else, too.. the blade was poisoned. He felt it. The poison made him weaker and he was unable to teleport to saftey.

"You... can't get away with this.. your mind will meld... with any summoner. They will know about this.. you will be brought to justice."

"I think not." Katarina replied coldly, bending over the dying man. She took the dagger out of his chest, and stabbed him a second time with it a few inches to the left of the original wound.

"Warwick may be a lycan now.. but he never stopped being a skilled alchemist. He gave me a potion, saying that it would be able to block certain memmories from being shared with a summoner... the problem was, he was not certain how much would be needed for lengthy protection. The only way to find out was to run a field test to see which formula worked."

Katarina brought her face close to the summoner's face. "You were that field test."

The summoner was fully on his back now, the poison eating away at his ability to move.

"..why?" he struggled to say.

"I'm aware your institute has a privacy policy related to information shared by summoner and champion, and I was aware that I would likely need to share memmories to be here... though I did not expect it to happen during my interview. Warwick told me this was a part of summoner magic, that's why I had him create this potion... Though he thinks it is only so I can protect Noxus's secrets, that's only part of the reason, as you are aware. Unfortunately for you, I do not expect this league to last forever, and I intend to take precautions for when it does fall apart so that no critical information is in anyone's hands but my own... military secrets and otherwise."

The summoner felt his life-force slipping away and was barely able to talk. "my... dissapearance." He struggled before slipping into full paralysis.

"Do you like the poison? Warwick made that too. It's a very special blend made from the venom of a dangerous snake found south of the Great Barrier. As far as anyone will know, you handled a dangerous snake and were bitten by one. Your death will be dismissed as ignorance and foolishness. No one will look into it."

Katarina could see the fear in his eyes. The fear that she was right, that no one would question his death, and the lack of all hope creeped across his face. She smiled.

She whispered to the man, "Look on the bright side. You died to protect the secrets of Noxus.. or, more specifically, for me." She added, cruely.

I'll have to remember to complement Warwick on the poison. She thought to herself.

It paralyzed him faster than I expected for such a small dose.

Katarina stood up and walked away from the dying man, leaving him in the darkness, and she entered the League of Legends as the man's heart stopped.

A few days later, she was having breakfast with Garen. "Look at this article." He said. Katarina was curious. Garen showed her the newspaper. "Can you believe it? Some summoner was found dead. It seems he summoned a deadly snake, and it bit him. The league has taken the opportunity to issue warnings against summoning unsafe creatures. Why do people do such foolish things?"